Podcasts about Heart Songs

From October 19, 2001: Oprah talks to Mattie Stepanek, an 11-year-old boy who, despite having muscular dystrophy, has written two New York Times best-selling inspirational books of poetry, Heartsongs and Journey Through Heartsongs. He aims to help create world peace. Mattie shares his poetry, describes what he calls “Heartsongs,” and details how he sees miracles every day. Oprah then talks with singer, author and motivational speaker Tom Sullivan about how it feels to be blind. Mattie, who later became one of Oprah's most memorable guests passed away in 2004 at the age of 13. 

While most violence occurs between people who know each other, there is something to be said about mitigating stranger danger. Yes, women are more likely to be assaulted in the home or someplace familiar to them, but abduction by predatory rapists does occur. So it seems worthwhile to review some ideas to stay safe.

When feeling discombobulated, a key principle to stay sane during these turbulent times is to stop arguing with reality, a laudable intention. Think new thoughts, fresh, innovative previously unthought, or at least a good one repackaged into this worthy moment, devoid of any smidge of sophistry.

As a good friend says, these days it feels like one is getting pecked to death with all those little absurdities of daily life. In short, all that does not go easily because of bureaucratic or corporate nonsense can have me running in circles quite easily. You may have heard the term high variance, which is being used as a polite synonym for the chaos of the current administration. That only adds to the sense of WTF bells ringing in the crisp air of winter's waning.

My dad always used to say I'm not complaining, just explaining, but here I am talking about developing a conscious process for whine o'clock to lighten the load in ways that are not destructive to myself or others.

Ed Roman is an Award-winning singer/songwriter, performer and multi-instrumentalist from Shelburne, Ontario, Canada. Blurring the lines between pop, rock, folk, and country music genres, Ed's uniquely crafted songs have received regular rotation on more than 100 terrestrial radio stations across North America and more than 400 stations, worldwide. Ed is a 2014 Artists Music Guild Award Nominee, a 2014 International Music and Entertainment Association Award Winner, a two-time 2015 IMEA Award nominee, a 2015 and 2016 Josie Show Awards nominee, an Akademia Awards Winner, and a two-time Indie Music Channel Award winner. Ed has performed at the Red Gorilla Music Fest during SXSW, The Millennium Music Conference, and SS Cape May, and he has toured both New York City and Philly. Recently, this Top 100 MTV.com and #1 Reverbnation artist traveled to Jamaica to deliver much-needed humanitarian aid to the island, while shooting the music video for “Jamaica.” Ed is also a Heart Songs for Veterans artist, donating money to help veterans with his single and Top 10 Yallwire.com video,, "Lay One Down." His last album, Letters From High Latitudes (an homage to his Ontario home) was a critically-acclaimed vehicle for Ed's socio-political, earthly-conscious and globally-aware messages. This earthy, funky and magical mix of music has earned Ed Roman airplay chart recognition and won over legions of fans around the world, known as “Ed Heads.” Now, Ed has returned with a brand new album, Red Omen, produced with renowned producer, Michael Jack. The album, featuring the first single and video, I Am Love, is out June 7, 2016. www.edroman.netBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-x-zone-radio-tv-show--1078348/support.

Unlikely I will ever be a great writer or a Famoso musical pop star, so why bother? Yes, I do get some joy from the creative process itself, but the motivation to keep honing the craft? Well, I must admit that comes and goes. Psychologists even have a term for our familiar yet elusive sense of dissatisfaction: the hedonic treadmill.

Things are moving quickly, requiring more focused world attention on H5 N1. While a human pandemic is not inevitable, there are a number of milestones that have recently been achieved that suggest it is no longer just a remote possibility.

It is estimated that 55 million people worldwide have dementia, and according to the CDC, 1 in 9 Americans over age 65 has it. I discuss some really amazing progress that is being made.

I am always amazed at the layers that peel off when I do a vacation—that is to say, vacate my normal life and shift gears to a different pace and reality. It is quite surprising when I observe and discover that in fact I have been in a certain amount of denial about what I have been carrying on my shoulders. 

The AI robotic interplay is currently highly focused on the push to develop spatial intelligence—the ability for machines to correctly interpret and successfully interact with the everyday world. Virtual worlds with virtual robots allow for quicker and inexpensive trial and error training. Incredible implications for all of us!

There are so many essential skills we need to teach our children: self-awareness and sensory processing that supports development of compassion, empathy and emotional fluency; Cultivating inner peace, basics of self-healing and the power of intending; stewardship of the natural world, service to others, and an engagement with creative expression. Link mentioned in the podcast: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/satishnandyala_dr-casey-means-in-senate-yesterday-%3F-%3F%3F%3F%3F%3F%3F%3F-activity-7244700380675088384-0Xve/  

Welcome to the Cosmic blast diner, where economic collapse, ecological meltdown, or your choice of a variety of complex upheavels or apocalyptic catastrophes are on the menu, with uncertainty and disturbance as appetizers. Link mentioned in the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r2q31xb7hA

The spiritual journey takes one down a rabbit hole of mysterious occurrences and unknown destinations, a quest initiated by the big what's it all about Alfie questions, married to an unwillingness to blindly accept the cookie cutter explanations of the powers that be. Primatologist short video mentioned in the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meiU6TxysCg 

Consensual reality: those agreements humans collectively make in order to be flexible and create webs of cooperation. In fact, that trait is likely what has enabled us to dominate the planet. Money and laws, for example, those myths and stories that are woven into the fabric of daily life.

As we dance our way through holiday doings, here are some suggestions to perhaps make that journey more pleasant. Connecting with supportive family and friends is more meaningful to my mental health than the endless commercial consumer onslaught of the season.

For millennia, what killed humans were variations on the unholy triad of famine, pestilence and war. That has now changed. The effects of our disregard for our planetary home contribute to a host of chronic ailments.

As I continue the slow recovery from my mystery virus, I am deeply reminded that the health care system, despite its many flaws, continues to produce miracles

So if, in these unfolding moments, words can't express the turmoil and transcendence within, then perhaps creating something beautiful can. I simply must reconfigure and expand my imagination of the possible.

I also have finally admitted that I have been experiencing some election anxiety. Anxious is not a normal state for me, especially mid-night or when waking up. My default is more a dark Sicilian down mood. Yet I have been stoking the fires so to speak by regularly checking in about polls and headlines in the latest verbal battles between candidates.

Some adventuring in the Cruces Basin on a horseback muzzle loader elk hunt. Will it be my last?

It seems that one of the songs we must learn to dance to as we age is some degree of memory loss.  Paying attention to good sleep, exercise habits, stress levels, diet, and other essentials of nurturing the mind-body connection can mitigate the memory marbles dissipation. I explore some other tips to keep the memory muscle toned.

I have few regrets in my life, but one of them is clearly having spent so much time indoors, somewhat divorced from the planet and all the gifts that its wild generate within me, just by being a witness to their incredible magnificence.

I have been blessed with many wild encounters and wish to share a few of them today. I am left wondering about the tales you might tell, dear listener, of your encounters with the wild, and how they inspired, nourished and spoke to your deepest yearnings. What a magical planet we inhabit!

I Am The Sum Of My Experiences. I am wondering if this is really true or just a very lovely compelling phrase. I guess I don't believe it is a simple sum game. Certain experiences seem to have much more impact on us as humans, especially those during critical periods of development.

Join Iridessa and me as we chat about childhood trauma and family dynamics, healing exercises, heart songs, and Egypt takeaways. Iridessa Blossoms is a healer, as a body and fitness movement specialist. She is a Reiki Master with numerous fitness certifications, from dance to barre to yoga, aerial art forms, pole dancing, and more.  The authentic creative expression that she holds space for during her classes, provides a very unique healing experience.  She has been a trendsetter, leading and paving the way with her performance art, visually stimulating audiences internationally. Iridessa began intentionally walking the path of spirit in 2005. She has an unwavering thirst for knowledge of mysticism. She finds it rewarding to help others become their best selves by providing freedom through expressive movement. Dance has been her passion and her heart song that has been a monumental outlet for her to work through and heal her childhood trauma.   Sacred Geometry Board Connect with Iridessa: Boise Aerial & Fitness YouTube Instagram Chapters 00:00, Embracing Your Heart Song and Choosing Yourself 19:24, The Power of Surrender and Manifestation 32:00, Setting Boundaries and Being Less Tolerant of BS 33:42, Finding Solitude and Practicing Self-Care 36:13, Following Your Heart Song and Embracing Self-Expression 37:12, The Power of Surrendering and Allowing Manifestations to Unfold 38:08, Letting Go of Limitations and Control in Manifestation 39:08, Building a Relationship with Guides and Angels 40:11, The Role of Intuition and Recognizing Patterns 41:38, Ancestral Healing and Breaking Patterns for Personal Growth

Last week I offered 5 external aspects of crafting a good life, including where one lives, discover one's passions, find a compatible mate, engage with one's tribe, and finally, travel to broaden and deepen oneself in many diverse ways. Today I want to share the complementary five inner domains to develop and embody for a good life. They are gratitude, forgiveness, mourning, joy and healthy boundaries.

What constitutes a good life? What choice points, and perhaps the use of intuition in decision making as described last week, might get one there?

In our age of bewilderment, is human intuition merely an advanced form of pattern recognition? A biochemical collection of perceptive algorithms? What might stimulate and enhance its development?

VUCA characterizes and reflects upon the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity of general conditions, and how enterprises might flourish despite those challenges. The military also found the term useful, and incorporated it into their training as well. Here I attempt to make it relevant to personal challenges.

My body is a good messenger, inviting me to grow in ways that are not always pleasant but on some spiritual cosmic level, most necessary. Freedom appears when I can embrace that truth, no matter what unpleasant feedback my body might be offering.

Down mood most of the time.                                                          Energy decrease, fatigue, and a slowed-down feeling. Pleasurable activities are no longer enjoyed.                Remembering, concentrating, and decision making are more difficult.                                                                                                          Eating problems.                                                                                        Sleep problems.                                                                                            Sense of hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness, guilt. Ever recurrent aches/pains don't respond to treatment.      Death thoughts, or a suicide plan. Symptoms of depression in young men may manifest as aggressive acting-out, irritability, low impulse control with inability to tolerate stress, and a greater willingness to take risk.

Drugs –most often seen in this culture as hedonism, escape, or dulling the senses thru self-medication – are viewed in many cultures as “doorways of perception” to borrow from the excellent work of Aldous Huxley. There has been a significant resurgence in the use of psychedelics to treat a variety of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety and PTSD, often with excellent research results.

So this is my formula for listening to the body: continue to move naturally, pay attention and be curious about early warning feedback, occasionally do a habit inventory, remember the body feels better when grateful and mindful, and find your tribe and connect regularly.

It is a challenge to face a lifetime mountain of clutter. I haven't moved in 24 years, and doing a deep dive and really sifting through stuff to keep what is useful, retain important memories, and yet let go of some material things seems daunting and a bit overwhelming.

Paying attention to “favorite things” in some ways is a prayer, full of gratitude and appreciation rather than asking for more or something different. The lists are different every time I engage with this little exploration. I wonder what your list might include?

Time for some good news: Gene treatment for sickle cell disease, a new antibody for the fight against malaria and new hope for reducing pain in fibromyalgia.

The 5 a day campaign to get folks to eat more fruits and vegetables has been around for some time. Here is my own 5 a day prescription for optimal moodality.

Here comes H5N1! The current bird flu epidemic, which most believe began in 2020, has successfully globetrotted very quickly. Millions of poultry – 90 million and counting in the US alone – have been culled in a futile attempt to limit spread of the virus. While Avian flu viruses tend to be wild bird specific, the current strain is more egalitarian and has quickly infiltrated a wide array of flocks, as well as squirrels, skunks, dolphins, polar bears and now dairy cows. 

Conversation with Special Guest:  Raymond Turner Recorded Live in Sparklefly Studio in CookChildren's Medical Center - Fort Worth, Texas.   We step in and out of sacred spaces every day, oft times unaware.  But every now and then, we are overwhelmed from the outside in and the inside out simultaneously, just by being where we are.     That's how I felt when I visited Raymond Turner at Sparklefly Studio in Fort Worth, Texas.  Raymond is the Recording Studio Producer at Sparklefly - a professional state-of-the-art recording space inside a children's hospital.  Talk about innovative and one-of-a-kind.  Raymond helps children battling illness write and record their own songs.  Some of Raymond's work includes taking the heartbeats of little ones in the NICU unit and lovingly turning it into music for their families.  Some of these children are either premature, struggling to survive, or have already passed away.   How incredibly redemptive is that!   Featuring "Brand New Day" and "HeartSong" - recorded and produced by CookChildren's patients and Raymond Turner (Used by Permission).

The breakthrough that is now about to explode is that roboticists have started using deep learning and neural networks to create “software” for mobile machines that enable them to learn from their environs, as they navigate and adjust their behaviors on the fly.

The guesstimate is that currently about 55 million people worldwide have dementia, by 2050 that number is expected to be 2 ½ times higher. This represents an enormous emotional and financial toll for society, and those directly caring for such individuals.

Although the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends adults sleep at least 7 hours a night, more than one-quarter of adults simply do not meet this recommendation. Getting refreshing sleep is good medicine, an essential aspect of wellness, that we ignore at our own peril.

A biotech company is progressing with testing of a canine life extension drug—the company's name is LOYAL. From dog hotels to fancy pet urns, to cremation jewelry and glass art, perhaps we are going too far for our beloved companions. Have they become a substitute for human interactions for some lonely people?

Sunday, March 31, 2024. Happy Easter from Mayflower Church! This morning Rev. Dr. Lori Walke preaches from the Gospel according to Luke, chapter 24, verses 1 through 12. Live streamed from the sanctuary of Mayflower Congregational UCC Church in Oklahoma City.

Sunday, Mar. 24, 2023. We continue our Lenten observance this week with a sermon from Rev. Dr. Lori Walke, preached from the Gospel according to John, chapter 12, verses 12 through 16. Live streamed from the sanctuary of Mayflower Congregational UCC Church in Oklahoma City.

It is undoubtedly true that any animal with whom we form an intimate relationship has much to teach us. There is a mystical sacred connection that evolves over time, somehow different than a surprise spotting of a special bird, or a brief encounter in the wild with a bear or herd of elk.

Original Airdate: October 28, 2020From October 19, 2001 Oprah Winfrey Show: Oprah talks to Mattie Stepanek, an 11-year-old boy who, despite having muscular dystrophy, has written two New York Times best-selling inspirational books of poetry, Heartsongs and Journey Through Heartsongs. He aims to help create world peace. Mattie shares his poetry, describes what he calls “Heartsongs,” and details how he sees miracles every day. Oprah then talks with singer, author and motivational speaker Tom Sullivan about how it feels to be blind. Mattie, who later became one of Oprah's most memorable guests, passed away in 2004 at the age of 13. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah's Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN